


Someday Box

by Princess976



Category: Glee
Genre: Angst, Christmas, Christmas Cookies, F/M, Missing Scene, Romance, Season 3 Episode 9
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-28
Updated: 2014-01-28
Packaged: 2018-01-10 10:18:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1158462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Princess976/pseuds/Princess976
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam brings Mercedes a Christmas gift that reminds her of their time together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What's with the empty jewelry box?

 When The Trouble Tones came back to New Directions Kurt and Rachel decided they would make an effort to get their relationship with Mercedes back on track. Kurt and Rachel both missed her. They were the three divas and they didn't have much time left together. Rachel decided that she would take matters into her hands and invite Mercedes and Kurt to her house for a sleepover like they used to have before things got so complicated. After they performed for the kids at the shelter Rachel approached Mercedes.

"Mercedes, I would like to offer you an invitation to my house for a sleepover. The three divas like before."

"Rachel, it's the holidays and I have a lot of family over."

"OK how about before school starts up again we get together?"

"OK. That sounds like fun." Rachel joined Kurt and told him that Mercedes agree to meet up with them right before break was over. They were both very excited and they couldn't wait to get their girl time.

Mercedes wasn't sure why she agreed to the sleepover with Kurt and Rachel other than she missed them. She started to get really excited about them spending time together. She loved her family but after a couple weeks they were wearing on her nerves she was excited to get away from them. The day of the sleepover Mercedes mother called her downstairs to tell her she had a guest. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she was surprised to see Sam standing in the hallway.

"Sam! What are you doing here?"

"Merry Christmas, Mercy."

"Merry Christmas, Sam."

"I just stopped by to say hi and give you this." He handed her a gift bag. Kissed her on her cheek, whispered Merry Christmas in her ear caressed her face and walked out the door. She took the gift bag upstairs set it on her bed and stared at it for an hour. She finally opened it and on top was a picture frame decorated with glitter and sequence inside the frame was a picture of Stacey and Stevie. She didn't realize how much she missed them until she saw that picture.

Under the frame was a gift card from Sam's parents thanking her for all the babysitting she had done. At the bottom of the bag was one more gift. She slowly took the package out of the bag and she burst into tears.

_Flashback_

_Mercedes was laying across her bed looking at her someday box. She was waiting for Sam. It was raining and their park date had to be transferred into a indoor date._

_"Hi, beautiful."_

_"Hi, Sammy." Sam climbed onto her bed and kissed her hard._

_"What are you doing?"_

_"Looking at my someday box."_

_"What's a someday box?"_

_"It's a box of dreams. I have little physical representations of my dreams. Every time I fulfill a dream a take the representation of that thing out of the box."_

_"What kind of things do you have in there?"_

_"It's mostly pictures. I have a picture of a Grammy, a New York subway map, an empty Tiffany's box, and other stuff."_

_"What other stuff? Let me see." Sam looked into the box and saw pictures mostly of the career she wanted for herself. At the bottom of the box was a picture of a family and he looked at her and she turned away. "Baby, what's this?"_

_"Nothing. It's a family."_

_"How long has this been in your someday box?"_

_"I've always had a family in there."_

_"Mercy, you know exactly what I mean." Sam looked at the picture in his hand looking at the interracial family smiling back at him. It warmed his heart that in her someday she had made a place for him. He hugged her and kissed her deeply. All the things from her someday box went scattered across the floor. When they came up for air Sam asked her the other question on his mind. "What's with the empty jewelry box?"_

_"Sam, it's a Tiffany's box! If a man gave me Tiffany's I'd be his forever!"_

_"I'll remember that."_

_End Flashback_


	2. Try Not To Be Obvious Kurt!

 Mercedes looked down at the light blue box in her hands and cried even harder. She couldn't bring herself to open the box. She went to her closet and pulled out her someday box, a box of pictures from the summer and a purple hoodie she hadn't looked at in months. Even though she had agreed to Shane's 'plan' for them she had never changed the picture she had in mind for her future family. She held the hoodie to her nose and was relieved that it still smelled like him. It smelled like soap and something that was uniquely Sam. She put the hoodie on and opened the box of keepsakes from the previous summer. 

A lot of the pictures were of Stacey, Stevie and Sam at the park. Those pictures made her smile. The pictures that made her cry were the ones taken by her family. They were of her and Sam sharing the hammock in her backyard. Some of the pictures she had never seen because her mother had taken them and she hadn't printed them out until after Sam had moved. Mercedes didn't look at them she just put them in the box and put them in the back of her closet. The pictures were from the 4th of July and most of the pictures were taken without her or Sam's knowing. She looked at how he looked at her and how she looked at him and she could feel his arms around her. She pulled out the picture that she slept with for days after Sam left, it was the picture that she had kept beside her bed. 

It was her very favorite but she grew to hate it. She was smiling at the camera but Sam was looking at her like she was the most precious thing ever. She got lost in her memories and curled into the fetal position sobbing softly.

Rachel and Kurt were waiting for Mercedes to show up to their slumber party. They had been waiting for almost two hours. Their calls to her cell phone went straight to voice mail and their texts went unanswered. Kurt called her house and Mercedes mother told him that Mercedes was in her room. Her mom suggested that Kurt and Rachel come over because she didn't think Mercedes was up to leaving the house. Kurt packed up his traveling moisturizing kit and Rachel grabbed all the ice cream she had in her house and the two of them went to Mercedes house. Mercedes mom was waiting for them in the front hall of Mercedes house.

"Kurt, Rachel it's good to see you kids."

"Hi, Mama Jones. What's wrong with our girl?"

"Sam was here earlier."

Kurt and Rachel shared a look and made their way upstairs. Kurt knocked on Mercedes door and waited. After he received no answer he pushed open the door. Rachel and Kurt gasped at the sight they saw when they opened the door. Mercedes was laying on her bedroom floor sobbing.

"Mercedes." She didn't stir at all. Kurt and Rachel joined Mercedes on the floor. Kurt put Mercedes head in his lap and Rachel rubbed her back. They waited for her to stop crying. When her tears finally stopped Kurt was the first to speak.

"Diva, do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Please, Mercedes. You need to talk about it. Your mom told us Sam was here."

"He was. He dropped off a Christmas present for me." Rachel and Kurt looked at each other surprised. They knew whatever he had given her had rocked her to her core. They made the decision not to leave until they helped Mercedes make up her mind. Rachel asked the next question.

“Mercedes, what did he get you?"

"His brother and sister gave me a picture frame that they decorated with a picture of them in it. His parents gave me a gift card."

"Cedes, what did Sam give you?" Kurt asked.

"I don't know. I haven't opened it." she sniffed.

"Why?" Kurt asked confused.

"I can't."

"Mercedes, you are not making sense. Where is the present?" Mercedes took her hand out of her hoodie pocket and showed them the box. Rachel and Kurt both inhaled sharply. They both started speaking at the same time. Mercedes put her hand up to silence them. Kurt looked at Mercedes closely and then he looked around the room and saw her someday box.

"Mercedes, does Sam know about your someday box?" Kurt asked realization dawning on him.

"What's a someday box?" Rachel asked curiously.

"It's a box where our Diva stores her dreams and after she achieves one she removes something.”Kurt told her. “Diva, does he know?" Kurt asked her again.

"Yes." Mercedes whispered and comprehension dawned on Kurt's face. He quickly explained about the Tiffany's box in Mercedes someday box. Rachel began to gush about how romantic Sam was before she caught site of Kurt shaking his head. Rachel shut up for a minute, then her curiosity got the better of her.  
"Mercedes aren't you interested in seeing what he got you?" Rachel asked.

"No." Mercedes said defiantly.

"Mercedes, you are interested. You're just being difficult. But that's OK because Rachel and I are going to help you figure this out. The first thing we are going to do is open this gift. Mercedes slowly opened the box and when she did she saw a pair of silver heart earrings. Kurt gasped.

"Those are Elsa Peretti open heart earrings!" Kurt exclaimed.

"Kurt, you're not helping. And it doesn't really matter I'm giving them back." Mercedes said tears still in her eyes.

"What? Why?" Kurt asked. He couldn't imagine her not keeping the earrings.

"It's too much. It's inappropriate. I'm not his girlfriend. And I didn't get him anything." Mercedes said.

"Mercedes, we know you better than that. You start Christmas shopping in July and Sam was a big part of your life then so I'm sure you got him a gift. It's probably in the back of your closet now." Kurt said sternly.

"Look, it doesn't matter." Mercedes said without conviction.

"If it doesn't matter why are you sitting in your room crying in his Justin Bieber hoodie? Looking at pictures of the two of you." Rachel said with a look at Mercedes tear stained face.

"I'm sorry Rachel. I'm not like you I don't thrive when two boys are fighting over me." Mercedes said with venom.

"While I admit that in the past I may have liked when Jesse and Finn fought over me I have come to realize that I was wrong to play them against each other. But you're deflecting. Obviously it matters, Sam matters." Rachel said not allowing Mercedes to draw her into an argument.

"Is Shane giving you a hard time about Sam being back?" Kurt asked curiously.

"I know he has a problem with it but he doesn't say anything. He's been reluctant to leave me alone since Sam made his declaration in the hall. Although that didn't stop him from missing Sectionals." Mercedes said with a shrug.

"He missed Sectionals?" Rachel asked aghast. 

"Yeah, he said he had to meet with the recruiter at Ohio State but after the show I saw the recruiter at Breadstix with Coach Bieste." Mercedes informed her friends.

"Did you ask him about it?" Kurt asked.

"No. He obviously didn't want to come and I'm not going to force him. He's working really hard on the plan for our life together." Mercedes told them. Kurt and Rachel shared an incredulous look over Mercedes head.

"Huh!" Kurt said snidely.

"Kurt, be quiet." Rachel said shaking her head no.

"What?" Mercedes asked looking between the two of them.

"Nothing." Kurt said rolling his eyes.

"What's wrong with having a plan? Both of you have plans for after McKinley." Mercedes said defensively.

"There is nothing wrong with a plan. And you're right we do have plans, together as a matter of fact. But it seems like his plan is more about him." Kurt said his voice full of disapproval.

"You're wrong. I'm in his plans." Mercedes told Kurt and Rachel.

"Yeah we heard. Winning Grammy's and having cocoa babies." Kurt said his judging you face intact.

"What's wrong with that?" Mercedes asked averting her eyes.

"If you have to ask. This is more serious than I thought. We love you. Everyone in New Directions loves you. When we heard that JBI interview we cringed." Kurt said shaking himself as he thought of the interview from earlier that year.

"Why?" Mercedes asked. No one had ever told her what they thought about that interview.

"First you blew Sam off like he didn't matter. Then you went along with the Shane as he was describing the most stereotypical life ever. It threw us off. We realized we didn't know you anymore." Kurt said sadly.

"You didn't know me? Why because I was unwilling to be walked all over and relegated to the back anymore? Shane made me see that I was better than background. He convinced me to stand up for myself. He let me know that I deserved the spotlight." Mercedes said angry that after all they'd been through they still didn't understand her motivations for leaving New Directions.

"Maybe he did. But he also alienated you from your friends. He was OK with Santana and Brittany because they were in Trouble Tones." Kurt told her. He would always be grateful to Shane for helping Mercedes stand up for herself but he would never forgive him for systematically alienating her from her friends.

"That's not true." Mercedes defended.

"It is true. He got upset when we wished each other good luck before West Side story auditions. He convinced you we were the enemy. Yes we were in competing show choirs but we could have still hung out." Rachel pointed out.

"He was actually really mad that I'm back in New Directions. I don't think he meant to keep me separated. He thought he was helping me. Sam hasn't made it any better with his hallway mess." Mercedes said as she acknowledged the truth of their words.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked confusion on his face.

"Kurt, she means him shouting in the hall that he was going to fight to get her back. I can't imagine that Shane was happy about that." Rachel said tucking her legs under her.

"I'm sure but at least Sam is being upfront unlike my brother was when he went after Quinn or you for that matter Rachel. Sam is an honorable guy and he clearly still cares about you." Kurt said with a wave of his hand.

"Try not to be to obvious Kurt." Mercedes said aggravated.

"What?" Kurt asked confused by Mercedes' tone of voice.

"If the two of you came here to convince me to go back to Sam you can just leave." Mercedes said pointing toward the door.

"Mercedes, that's not what we're saying at all. We just don't like to see you cry. We want to help you." Rachel tried to diffuse the situation.

"I don't need help. It's simple. Sam left me. I can't trust him not to leave me again. I'm staying with Shane. And that's it." Mercedes said with conviction.

"No, that is not it. I know when Sam left he hurt you. You are allowed to be upset mad even. What you are not allowed to do is blame him. He did not choose to leave you. He in fact chose to come back to you." Kurt said raising his voice.

"No, he came back to help you guys win Sectionals." Mercedes said with an eye roll.

"Mercedes, that's not true. After Sam convinced his parents to let him come back to Lima all he talked about was you. We told him you were dating Shane and he said he wanted to hear it from you. He needed to see in your eyes that you didn't love him anymore." Rachel told her hoping to convince her to listen to reason.

"I told him he doesn't care what I want." Mercedes said exasperatedly.

"Really, Mercedes. If Sam thought you were over him he wouldn't have made that declaration in the hall." Kurt said with thinly veiled irritation.

"I don't know what he thinks he saw but me and Sam are over." Mercedes said agin.

"Mercedes, we are not going to stand by and watch you hurt people we care about." Kurt said choosing to ignore Mercedes' previous statement.

"Who are you talking about?" Mercedes asked with a frown.

"Sam and you." Kurt told her stroking her arm.

"Kurt, we have to respect her wishes." Rachel told Kurt. She could clearly see that they weren't getting anywhere and that maybe they needed to regroup.

"If she was being honest I would. If you are going to continue lying to yourself we're going home. Before we leave I will say this. Mercedes Jones you need to take a real look at this situation. Figure out exactly what is going on. I understand that Shane helped you, but don't confuse gratitude for love. You say you love Shane but when we got here you were crying wearing Sam's hoodie. Your first responsibility is to yourself, you have to do what is going to make you truly happy. Sam or Shane that's a decision only you can make, but make it for you not anyone else." Kurt told her as he and Rachel left her sitting on her bedroom floor in Sam's JBE hoodie.

 


	3. Well when he goes back to his hillbilly life don't come crying to me

 After Rachel and Kurt left Mercedes thought about everything they had both said. Kurt was right she was angry at Sam for leaving. She was holding on to that anger and using it as a shield against Sam. She knew he wouldn't have left her if he could help it. She realized that Shane maybe was a rebound. He came along at a time when she needed to hear she was beautiful and special. 

When Sam left she knew it didn't have anything to do with her but her head twisted it into something to make her believe he was happy to get away. The voice in her head convinced her that she wasn't any of things Sam said about her. She stopped singing. She didn't talk to anyone. She didn't go anywhere or do anything. She would have stayed locked in her room if her parents didn't get fed up and force her to attend a church cookout. 

Shane's family was new in Lima and her parents thought Shane could help Mercedes forget about Sam. Mercedes knew nothing could make her forget about Sam. Shane would show up at her house everyday and sit with her. He would talk to her about his plan for his life. Mercedes got used to seeing Shane, she still cried about Sam but only at night. Mercedes could tell that Shane liked her and he wanted to be her boyfriend. She wasn't ready to date again but she figured she owed him for taking so much time with her.

_Flashback_

_Mercedes was in the kitchen fixing lunch for herself and Shane. He joined her in the kitchen and just looked at her._

_"What are you looking at?_

_"Just you beautiful. I want to ask you something."_

_"What?"_

_"Before I start I want to tell you that I understand that you are not ready to give me your whole heart. I can accept that. This other guy hurt you, he doesn't deserve you. Let me be the man you deserve"_

_Mercedes didn't know what to say. By this point she had gotten over her anger and she just missed Sam. She missed him so much she ached. She realized Shane was waiting for an answer. He saw the tears in her eyes and assumed she was touched by his words when really she knew that when she said yes Sam was gone._

_"What exactly are you asking me?"_

_"To be my girlfriend."_

_"Oh. Um, sure."_

_End flashback_

As soon as Mercedes had agreed to be Shane's girlfriend he had begun talking about college together and life after. He talked about the NFL for him and Grammys for her. He told her that after her second album she would have to take some time out to start having kids. Mercedes listened to Shane plan their lives together and she went along with it. Any future without Sam in it didn't matter to her anyway. She had no problem faking happy with Shane. He didn't really know her so he thought she was as excited about the plan as he was. Her family was harder to convince but eventually they all believed she was over Sam. 

Mercedes put her pictures of Sam in a box on the top shelf and put his hoodie from the Justin Bieber Experience in the back of her closet. She had finally convinced herself that she was over Sam and by the time school started and she told JBI that Sam was 'So June' she actually believed it. Shane had helped her to stand up for herself and fight for her spotlight. He also made her believe that no one else wanted her to succeed. She knew now that he was wrong. She didn't know his motives for alienating her and they really didn't matter. She owed Shane a lot but she didn't owe him her happiness. 

When he came over to bring her Christmas gift she was going to break up with him. She was tired of looking her happiness in the face everyday and not being able to embrace it. She sat across the kitchen table with Shane nervous about his reaction.

"How was your Christmas?" Mercedes asked with a small smile.

"It was good. It was good to see my family. I missed you though. I wish you could have come with me. It's time you met the rest of my family, I mean they are going to be your family one day." Shane said with a smile.

"Shane, stop. I need to tell you something. I don't want to hurt you because I owe you a lot." Mercedes said quietly.

"Mercedes what are you talking about?" Shane asked nervously

"Us Shane. I can't do this with you anymore. We have to break up." Mercedes said quickly.

"Break up? You can't mean that. Why? It's because of him isn't it?" Shane asked furiously.

"I'm not going to lie and say he's not part of it but he's not the only real reason." Mercedes said as she tried to calm Shane's anger. 

"What else could their possibly be? We were happy until he came back." Shane yelled.

"Shane, you never saw me truly happy. I know you thought that I was excited about the future you mapped out for us. It isn't what I wanted but I let you plan because I didn't really have an interest in a future at the time. Now I do." Mercedes told him truthfully.

"Your future with him you mean." he said with disdain.

"I hope that Sam and I are together forever but even if we're not I know what I want out of my life. I don't want to go to Ohio State. I've never wanted to go there. I want to go to New York and go to NYU. I do want to win Grammys and have a family I just don't want those things to be dictated to me." Mercedes told him. Glad to finally be able to tell him what she was thinking.

"What you mean is you don't want them with me." Shane said plainly.

"Shane, I don't want to hurt you, but staying with you because I feel grateful is not good for either of us. You shouldn't be anybody's second choice." Mercedes said reaching for Shane's hand. He pulled away without looking at her.

"What changed your mind? When I left to see my family we were solid. Now all of a sudden you want to be with him." Shane asked confusion filling his voice.

"Things changed for us the minute he came back to Lima. I spent all last night crying my eyes out. I hadn't cried like that since he left, it made me realize that all the old feelings are still there and I owe it to myself to see it through." Mercedes told him her eyes tearful.

"He left you! He'll leave you again and I won't be waiting to pick up the pieces." Shane said nastily.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. And I told you Sam is not the only reason we are breaking up." Mercedes told him again.

"Really? You don't have to lie to me. It's fine you want the pretty white boy over me. I'll survive." Shane said knowingly.

"I'm not lying. Excuse me if I don't want my future dictated to me." Mercedes said aggravated that Shane would bring race into the conversation.

"I'm just trying to support you." Shane said quietly realizing his mistake.

"Oh you mean like you supported me at Sectionals." Mercedes said unwilling to be appeased by his contrite tone of voice. 

"I told you I had a meeting with the recruiter." he told her exasperatedly. He thought they had settled this already.

"And I call bullshit! I saw your recruiter at Breadstix with Coach after Sectionals. What I didn't see was you! So where were you Shane?" Mercedes said her eyes flashing with anger.

"I was..." he said trying to quickly come up with a lie that she would believe.

"You know what save it. I know you aren't happy about me being back in New Directions but I don't care. My life, my decisions. You disapprove of my friendship choices but I'm not losing them, we've lost too much time already. If you want to continue to be my friend that would be great. If not I'll see you in church." Mercedes said tired of the entire conversation.

"Right like your precious Sam would be OK with us being friends." Shane said skepticism coloring his voice.

"He would. Sam loves and trusts me." Mercedes said sure of herself and Sam's love for her.

"Yeah right. Well when he goes back to his hillbilly life don't come crying to me. I'm done with you. I'll find someone who wants to get down with my plan." Shane said as a parting shot to her.

"Good luck with that, bye." Mercedes said rolling her eyes.

As Mercedes watched Shane walk out of her house and out of her life she felt a lightness that she hadn't felt since before Sam left. She went upstairs to call Kurt, she needed his fashion expertise if she was going to get her man.

 


	4. I Always Knew I'd Find You Someday, Eventually

 Mercedes walked into McKinley the first day after winter break ready to take a leap of faith. When she called Kurt and told him she needed help planning her outfit and performance for Sam he couldn't contain his squeal. She was now waiting for him at his locker. She smiled when she saw him and Blaine heading her way. Blaine reached her first and hugged her tightly.

"I'm so excited!" Blaine said.

"Why Blaine?" Mercedes asked laughing.

"Because I get to hear you sing." Blaine said.

"Blaine, you've heard me sing." Mercedes said with a smile. 

"Yeah, but this is the first song you've really sang for yourself since last year at Night of Neglect." he said with a smile as he remembered the performance.

"Yeah, I guess. It's kind of ironic." Mercedes said softly.

"How? Oh, because that song was for Sam as well?" Blaine said with a knowing smile.

"Blaine, how did you know that?" Mercedes asked surprised. She hadn't told anyone that song was for Sam, not even Sam.

"I didn't until later but either way, I'm really happy for you." Blaine said with a shrug.

"Thanks." Mercedes said. Blaine hugged her and they both waited for Kurt to join them. He smiled seeing them together. He couldn't wait until the four of them went on double dates.

"Hi! So Rachel is going to get Finn to keep Sam away from the auditorium before class. Are you ready Diva?" Kurt asked as he clapped his hands.

"Yeah, but I don't want to see him before Glee because I don't want him to see the earrings." Mercedes said her smile lighting up the halls of McKinley High.

"Don't worry, I'll send a mass text to everyone and have them help. We all just want you guys back together we don't like seeing you sad." Kurt said as his fingers sped across his phone.

"Thanks Kurt. I'll see you guys later." Mercedes walked toward her first class. She didn't see Santana watching her looking furious. When Mercedes got to her locker after class she was surprised to see Santana pacing in front of it.

"Hi San, what's up?" Mercedes said to the beautiful latina.

"Why don't you tell me? I get some text from Kurt about you and Trouty? From Kurt not from you. I thought we were friends! But I guess since you and Kurt and I guess Berry are cool again I'm not good enough to tell things to. That's fine! I don't need you!" Santana said trying to hide the hurt she felt when she received that text message.

"Whoa girl. Pump your brakes and watch your tone! Rachel asked me to a sleepover with her and Kurt so that we could work on our friendship. I agreed because I missed them. Before I left Sam showed up and after he left I was a mess. Rachel and Kurt found me crying and they helped me. I text you the next day but you never got back to me. I assumed you had your own stuff to deal with so I let it go. I was going to talk to you about everything before glee." Mercedes told her friend. She understood how Santana felt when she thought she was being replaced and Mercedes would never want anyone to feel that way.

"Oh, sorry. I guess." Santana said with a smile and a shrug. 

"Yeah, so do you want to hear my news?" Mercedes said knowing that Santana was truly sorry but just not that good at saying so.

"Of course." Santana said as she linked their arms together and listened as Mercedes told her about Sam's gift and breaking up with Shane. After she was done Santana agreed to keep Sam away from Mercedes until glee. She admired the awesome earrings Mercedes wore one last time and headed off to class. When it was time for lunch Mercedes headed to the library so she wouldn't run into anyone. Unfortunately Shane was there studying at their normal table. She tried to walk past him but he didn't want to let that happen. He reached out and grabbed her wrist. She yanked her arm back and looked at him.

"What do you want?" she asked with a hiss.

"Where's your blonde boy toy? He turn you down? Decide he wanted nothing to do with your lying unfeeling ass." Shane said sneering at her being alone.

"I get that you're mad! Fine, but I never lied to you. You never flat out asked me about Sam being back. And I do have feelings about and for you Shane they just aren't the feelings you want me to have. Acting like a douche-bag isn't going to change anything." Mercedes strode to the back of the library away from Shane without a look back. When the bell rang she made her way to the auditorium. Kurt and Blaine were waiting for her.

"You ready for this, Diva?" Kurt asked his hands clasped behind his back.

"I'm definitely ready. I hope it goes well. " Mercedes said with a nervous smile.

"Stop worrying. It'll be fine. Now go back stage and get ready." Kurt told her turning her and pushing her toward the curtains. Before she went back stage she handed Kurt a gift to put on Sam's seat.

"Make sure he opens it before I come out to sing my song." Mercedes told her friend.

"OK." Kurt said nodding his head. The rest of the New Directions filed into the auditorium. Mercedes was getting nervous. She wasn't sure if she was making a good decision. She thought that maybe she should have talked to him in private first. Realizing it was to late to worry about that she peeked out around the curtains and saw Sam and Finn coming down the aisle. Kurt and Santana both grabbed his hands and led him to the seat in the front dead center of the auditorium. She watched him pick up the gift and saw both Santana and Kurt both shrug and sit down next to him. She watched his face light up as he looked at the autographed Avatar cast photo. While he was marveling at his gift Mercedes stepped in front of the microphone.

"I know we need to get started on the set list for Regionals but if I don't sing this song I won't be able to concentrate. I have some unfinished business that I need to take care of and then we can get to work." Santana and Kurt smiled at her. Rachel smiled and gave her two thumbs up. Mercedes took a deep breath and started her song.

 _Ooh, oh, ooh, oh_  
Sweet love, yeah  
I didn't mean it  
When I said I didn't love you, so  
I should have held on tight  
I never shoulda let you go  
I didn't know nothing  
I was stupid, I was foolish  
I was lying to myself  
I could not fathom that I would ever  
Be without your love  
Never imagined I'd be  
Sitting here beside myself  
Cause I didn't know you  
Cause I didn't know me  
But I thought I knew everything  
I never felt  
The feeling that I'm feeling  
Now that I don't hear your voice  
Or have your touch and kiss your lips  
Cause I don't have a choice  
Oh, what I wouldn't give  
To have you lying by my side  
Right here, cause baby  
When you left I lost a part of me  
It's still so hard to believe  
Come back baby, please  
Cause we belong together  
Who else am I gon' lean on  
When times get rough?  
Who's gonna talk to me on the phone  
Till the sun comes up?  
Who's gonna take your place?  
There ain't nobody better  
Oh, baby baby, we belong together  
I can't sleep at night  
When you are on my mind  
Bobby Womack's on the radio  
Saying to me  
"If you think you're lonely now"  
Wait a minute  
This is too deep  
(Too deep)  
I gotta change the station  
So I turn the dial  
Trying to catch a break  
And then I hear Babyface  
"I only think of you"  
And it's breaking my heart  
I'm trying to keep it together  
But I'm falling apart  
I'm feeling all out of my element  
I'm throwing things, crying  
Trying to figure out  
Where the hell I went wrong  
The pain reflected in this song  
It ain't even half of what  
I'm feeling inside  
I need you, need you back in my life, baby  
When you left I lost a part of me  
And it's still so hard to believe  
Come back baby, please  
Cause we belong together

_Who else am I gon' lean on_   
_When times get rough?_   
_Who's gonna talk to me on the phone_   
_Till the sun comes up?_   
_Who's gonna take your place?_   
_There ain't nobody better_   
_Oh, baby baby, we belong together, baby_   
_When you left I lost a part of me_   
_It's still so hard to believe_   
_Come back baby, please_   
_Cause we belong together_   
_Who am I gonna lean on_   
_When times get rough?_   
_Who's gonna talk to me_   
_Till the sun comes up?_   
_Who's gonna take your place?_   
_There ain't nobody better_   
_Oh baby, baby_   
_We belong together_

When Mercedes was finished singing, Sam was standing on the stage beside her. He looked at her hopeful. He was afraid that he had misunderstood her. He wanted to hold her but he wanted to be sure. He looked at her closely and then he noticed she was wearing the earrings that he had given her for Christmas. He took a step toward her and held out his arms, she rushed into them and crashed her lips into his. Santana and Kurt herded everyone including Mr. Schue to the choir room. 

When they had to breathe they looked around and realized that everyone was gone. Mercedes took Sam's hand and led him to the parking lot to her car. The drive to her house was quiet. No one was home at her house and she led him upstairs to her room. When they entered her room Sam saw her Someday Box sitting on her desk. She walked over to it and he followed, she took out the empty Tiffany's box and threw it into the trash. Sam looked over her shoulder and his breath hitched, in the bottom of the box along with the pictures of Grammy's, her future family and her future home was a picture of Sam. He picked it up and looked at it and then he looked at her with a question in his eyes. She met his eyes completely sure of herself for the first time in months.

"I always knew that I'd find you someday, eventually. Someday just came a lot sooner than I thought it would." Sam didn't say a word. He just kissed her for the first time on the beginning of their journey to forever.

  
  
  



End file.
